Holidays and Celebrations

I have always thought that I am glad I do not have a birthday that falls on a holiday. My birthday is in June and falls around the time that the city I live in has it's city celebration. I tell my kids that the entire city is celebrating my birthday with a parade, a carnival, rodeos, strawberries and cream. They used to believe me, but now they are older and wise to me, I mean wiser.

Brandi's birthday is in July and we brought her home from the hospital on the 4th. I tell her that the entire nation celebrates her birthday- a parade, carnivals, fireworks. But she is older and wise to me now too.

I have a friend who's birthday is Dec. 24. She says that it was no fun when she was younger as the presents and cake etc. always got rushed through in order to get ready for Santa. She says that sometimes they even got combined. She never really fell for the combined celebration either.

But if your birthday falls on New Year's Eve, does that mean that the entire world celebrates your birthday? You know, parties, streamers, noise makers, fireworks, a countdown and crystal ball in Time's Square - the whole shebang? Or is it the countdown to the end of your birthday?

Whichever it is, do you get to have it all to yourself, no sharing with others. Is it easier to get friends together for a party? Especially if you want to stay up and celebrate the actual time that you came into the world- sometime around 11:30ish?

Or are you just afraid that your big sister will tell everyone in blogland how old you are? Well, I won't. I will just say--

Happy Birthday, Sharon!!! I am so glad you are my sister. Hugs and kisses all around. Hope it was a good one!

Good times remembered

I love scrapbooks, but I am the world's worst scrapbooker. The top shelf in my office closet is filled with boxes of pictures and negatives. I thought I was doing good when I bought a camera that stamped the date on the photo, no more trying to remember when the photo was taken.

When my kids were younger, I would make double prints of the photos and send the extra to my mom, who lives 1000 (more or less) miles away from me. One year, my entire family of origin and their families were gathered at my brother's house for Thanksgiving. My sister, Sharon, handed me a Christmas present and wanted me to open it then. Oh wow, I was given the best present-in-the-world that day. She had taken most of the extra prints I had sent my mom and organized them into two of the most wonderful scrapbooks!

Then two years ago I bought a digital camera. Now, instead of boxes of photos and negatives, I have folders in my computer and disks in my desk drawer.

For Christmas this year, I was given a digital photo frame. I took most of the photos of my kids and copied them to the frame. When turned on, it runs a constant slide show of the photos. Or I can stop it at just one of them, or load a video or MP3 and add music to the slides show. It is amazing. Brandi was looking at the photos with me and one of us at Imperial Beach in San Diego this past Sept came up. She looked at me sighed and said, "That was a fun day, wasn't it Mom?"

So I am thinking that I am going to make more of an effort to get those photos out of their boxes and folders and onto real paper and into scrapbooks so that we can remember the good times a bit more often.

The stockings were hung...

Do you feel the anticipation in the air? For those of us with children old enough/young enough it is almost tangible. How long till Santa comes? The favorite website for my kids today is NORAD. Here you can play games, learn all kinds of Santa facts, but the all important thing that is on this website, Where exactly at any given moment is Santa in the world? And even more importantly, How close to my house? This year, Google earth automatically refreshes the page every 5 minutes for you.

Christmas eve at my house goes something like this:

*Last minute, never ending cleaning- kids cleaning rooms, mom cleaning the kitchen, mopping floors, doing laundry.

*Making one last batch of Christmas candy and/or cookies

*listening to all the Christmas music we haven't gotten to yet this year

*This evening we will eat a simple dinner of fish, crackers, cheese and grape juice by candle light and remember Joseph and Mary eating in a stable full of animals and anticipation.

*We will then drive around town looking at lights and enjoying other's displays of Christmas spirit. (While we are gone, Santa's elves will sneak in and check how clean the rooms are and leave some movies for us to watch when we get home)

*When we get home, it is time for jammies, hanging stockings, popping popcorn and watching videos. If we haven't read the Christmas story from the Bible and Book of Mormon for FHE earlier, we will do it before stockings and movies. Don't forget to leave out milk and cookies in the special Santa plate and mug. Oh, and carrots for the reindeer.

*Try to listen for sleighbells while we pretend to sleep, but the anticipation is killing us, Is it time yet?

Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas treat recipes:

Twinkly Star Cutouts

from Christmas cookies 2001 magazine

Prep time 35 minutes

1 Cup butter, softned

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

3 Cups all-purpose flour

Powdered Sugar Glaze

Decorative Icing

Heat oven to 375* F. Beat butter in a mixing bowl on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until combined. Beat in egg till combined. Beat or stir in flour. Divide dough in half. 'roll half the dough at a time on a floured surface till 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters; reroll and cut trimmings. Place cutouts on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

Combine 4 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1/4 cup milk in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, till of drizzling consistency. Tint as desired with paste food coloring. make about 1 1/4 cups

Decorative Icing

Stir together 4 cups sifted powdered sugar and 3 Tablespoons milk in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, till of piping consistency. Tint as desired with paste food coloring. Fill pastry bags and decorate

Store: place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze unglazed cookies up to 3 months. Thaw, then glaze.

Divinity- One of the best and easiest recipes is found over at Cookie Baker Lynn. She has some really great recipes. It is her divinity recipe I am making today. Thanks, Tawnya, for telling me about her.

My mom's Praline candy recipe:

aka Sister Young's Pralines

2 Cups brown sugar

2 Cups white sugar

4 Tablespoons water

4 Tablespoons Karo white syrup

1 large (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Combine and cook to soft ball stage (234-240* F)

Remove from heat and add:

1 cube or 1/2 cup butter

Put a lid on the pot and cool till pot is just warm to touch.

Add:

2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until creamy and holds it's shape.

Add 2 cups pecans and drop on waxed paper.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!

More Jon Schmidt

Some more of my favorites by Jon Schmidt.



Susser De Glocken (Sweet are the Bells) Listen here.

Sweet, clear, beautiful. I see newly fallen snow and can see the church bells chiming in the birth of our Savior.

I know I posted about this one before, but I didn't have a place for you to listen to it.



Christmas Medley

Listen

I love the interplay between the three songs. Jon makes it so easy, the way they just flow into each other you almost cannot imagine hearing them seperately.

See the kings searching for the promised Messiah, then hear the bells peal out the news that He is here, awaking the world of sleeping people to the fact that the Savior is hear.



Are we awake, do we know What Child this is? Would we follow the star?



While you are over here, be sure you listen to Jon's rendition of "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella. My favorite rendition by far. But I posted about that already.

Happy Sunday before Christmas!

I love when Christmas Eve or Christmas day falls on Sunday. We then get to start the most holy of days with worship at Sacrament meeting. There have been times that I wished we had a service on the actual day of Christmas just so that we could take the sacrament and be spiritually fed before the gift and food frenzy begin, it makes it so much more special, I think.

In my ward (church congregation) we have a special musical worship service the Sunday before Christmas. It is presented to us by our ward choir. Guess who our ward choir director is? You guessed it, Kathryn. We are so lucky to have her, but with this program and Christmas in the Grove and her real life, Kathryn has been working extremely hard for months and months. And our pianist, Wanda, has worked just as hard since she learned the songs for both programs as well.

Today's choir program was, as usual, amazing. Kathryn always picks a score that brings the spirit into the meeting. Through music and words, we heard the story of the first Christmas, fromt the angel coming to see Mary to tell her, to Mary telling us of the journey to Bethlehem and Joseph telling us of the birth, the shepherds hearing the angels announce the birth. The narration as well as the music was incredible and the spirit was full and strong. You can't help but feel Katherine's love of the Savior. In fact, Kathryn was who I had in mind as choir director when I wrote my post on "The First Noel".

Thank you, Kathryn for helping Grove Creek 4th ward to feel the Christmas spirit 3 days before Christmas.

Christmas Hoopla

Karlene tagged me this week. Kinda like a snowball fight, but without the cold and wet. But you can still have a cup of cocoa, though. Oh and a Christmas cookie.

Here are the rules which I copied and pasted straight from Karlene's blog:
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (Josi doesn't even know what the m-word is but she's trying really hard to think of all the dirty words that start with M that she's ever heard. Tristi thinks the "m" word is Meme.)

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

1. Hello, my name is Sandra and I am a Christmas Junkie. I love all things Christmas and always go way overboard.

2. My favorite part of Christmas growing up was trekking to find the perfect tree.

3. Actually, my favorite part was when Mom got out the decorations and we were reunited with all of my favorite decorations: the blue ball with the scene that I hung every year since I was 6, my metal santa with the green rubberband around him to hold him together because he broke, the ice cream cone ornaments, the multi-colored balls in all shapes and sizes, the felt stockings that my grandmother made. Oh, my favorite, the pine cone lights. I have never been any like them.

4. I love sugar cookies, but they taste the best at Christmas time when they are full of sprinkles and those little silver balls. I haven't been able to find them lately though. We always thought we were being naughty when we found out that the label said "Not for consumption, decorative purposes only" and we ate them anyway.

5. I hate flocked trees. Especially if they have only blue decorations. Pink isn't too far behind.

6. We always had scrambled eggs for breakfast on Christmas when I was growing up. Mom said it was because it was fast and easy so she could get to all the baking she did the rest of the day. One year I tried making something different for my family, it didn't seem like Christmas, so we went back to the scrambled eggs.

7. I cannot make paper snowflakes. In my entire 44 years on earth, I have never made one that looked like a snowflake, ever.

8. I love making Christmas candy. Divinity, penuche, fudge, dipped chocolates...

9. Everytime I see purple wrapping paper, I think of my mom. One year she purchased a HUGE roll of purple stripped wrapping paper. She got a really good deal on it. But that roll of paper lasted forever. If I remember it correctly, she bought it before I was 6 and it lasted until I was in high school. I don't use purple paper very often, this is why.

10. I love Christmas parties, the kind where everyone dresses up in fancy clothes and there is good music and even better munchies and we all mingle and enjoy each other's company.

11. I love Christmas parties where we come as we are and there is good music and good muchies and we all play games and enjoy each other.

12. I still believe in Santa. I know a lot of grownups don't, but I do. I love looking at the lights on Christmas eve, watching the movies that his elves have left at our house and then hanging my stocking. There is still the little flutter of excitement as I lay in bed and listen for sleigh bells and watch for red reindeer noses in the sky. And I am usually the first one up wondering when the kids are ever going to get up already!!

I tag Diane, Kymburlee, Elle

Twilight

I finally read the Twilight series. I will do a review of them later, but I found this quiz in the meantime. I am pleased with this result, Esme was by far my favorite in the series.

Which Twilight novel character are you?

You're Esme Cullen - Your maternal instinct to take care of people and be kind draw people towards you. You're compassionate and loving, yet firm when you need to be. You appreciate hard work and value the beautiful results of your dedication to any project.
Take this quiz!








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Jess and I were discussing exactly how to say this name, though- is it EEz-ma or Es may?

Of Kings and Lullabies

Tiny King written by Joyce Elaine Eilers



Our choir as directed by Kathrine Laycock Little, did this song for Christmas one year. It was wonderful. The choir sang the chorus part while the primary children sang the solo part. It was amazing and my children and I have loved this song since. You can hear it being sung in our home throughout the year.

I can't find a place to listen to it, but most music stores have the arrangement for piano or choirs.





Mary's Lullaby by Bertha A. Kleinman, music by Wanda West Palmer



This is the only place on the web I can find where you can listen to this song. Elise Adams has it on her CD and I think it is a stellar performance of the song.

I think of Mary, sitting in the hay, rocking her new baby to sleep. She knows who He is and some of what is in store for Him as the years progress, but tonight, for now, He is her baby and she gets to swaddle Him, smell Him and rock Him to sleep. And it is enough.

Christmas Morning

Jon Schmidt again.

From his liner notes:

"This tune is an original composition of mine. For a long while, I couldn't think of a title for it. I considered calling it "Santa;s Workshop" or "The Train Song", but neither felt right. Then, one day I stumbled upon the title "Christmas Morning". As I played the piece with that image in mind, I began to remember a scene from previous Christmas. Like a movie sound track, the song fit perfectly as the memory unfolded. i was suddenly experiencing Christmas morning 1996 through the eyes of my two-year-old Annie and four-year-old Spencer; the Christmas lights, a train running on a track around the tree, a new doll house, and a remote control car. That was a Christmas morning I'll never forget!"

Listen to it here.

Just close your eyes and see the tree and hear the train as it picks up passengers and then speed. See it speeding around the tree, the lights twinkling, the wrapping paper beside it. See the children playing and laughing and families enjoying each other's company. Then the day is coming to a close, children are getting tired, daddies carrying little ones with drooping eyes up to bed as the train begins to slow down and come to stop as the perfect Christmas day comes to a close.

Go here to listen to more of Jon Schmidt.

Manheim Steamroller

Today I have videos of the three Manheim Steamroller songs that are my favorite.
If you know me, you know that I love brass bands. I think that this is why I love these three songs so much, even though they are done mostly with a synthesizer, the brass is incredible. I like to listen to them turned up, way up. My sons laugh at me because they are also songs that I like to "conduct".

Again, scroll down to the bottom and turn off the playlist so that you can listen to the music on the videos.



Hallelujah
A take on the Hallelujah chorus. I love the "trumpets" as well as the percussion. I could listen to it over and over.




Joy to the World
Pretty joyous, wouldn't you say?






Angels We Have Heard on High

One year the high school band did this as their final number at the Christmas Collage Concert. I wish I had had a video camera that year. The orchestra was on the stage, the drums were on the floor in front of the stage and the entire concert band- the woodwinds, brass, low brass- were spread out in and around the auditorium, down the aisles. It was impressive, surround sound, the brass sounding the opening notes for the angels to announce the birth of our Savior. I was blown away. One of the few times I have given then a standing ovation.

House Sychronized Style

Here is what my house looks like from the outside this year.

I am going to make a small disclaimer right now. Matt had started putting the lights up before I bought the song machine thinggie. And second to that, we didn't really know what we were doing. Now that we know what we are doing, next year it will be laid out a bit nicer. I will also be hitting the stores after Christmas to get lights so that we can utilize the trees and rosebushes.

One neighbor told me that her kids ask to drive by to see the house. Another neighbor said that she was glad she wasn't prone to seizures because she thought standing on my porch would cause a seizure.

Scroll down, turn down the playlist then sit back and enjoy watching my house.

Winter Reading Challenge

My friend Karlene is doing a Winter Reading Challenge. Here are the details:



Who: The 07/08 Winter Reading Challenge is for anyone who needs a little incentive to read.



What: A winter reading challenge for everyone. Set your goals and track your progress. No goal is too small; no ambition too great.



When: December 22, 2007 through March 19, 2008



Where: The blogosphere. Post your winter reading list on your blog then link to that specific post page using the Mr. Linky.

Why: What? We need a reason?

How (aka the detailed details):

1. Make a list of books you’d like to read during the winter. Check your bookshelves and nightstands for unread (or unfinished) books. Go to the library. Browse your local bookstore or amazon.com. Check book lists from other reading challenges. Ask your friends and neighbors for suggestions. Encourage them to join as well. Start a group where you all read the same books. That’s cool too.

2. Set your goal. There are 12 weeks of winter. If your goal is to read one book this winter, that’s great. If your goal is to read 12 books, or even 24 books, that’s great, too.*Once again, I’d like to suggest that we stretch a little. If you normally read fiction, put at least one non-fiction on your list (and vice versa). Or try a genre you don’t usually read. (I may have to read another romance.) Or try a new author chosen totally at random. But most importantly, make your list FUN so you'll want to read!

3. Write your blog post defining your list. If you have all your books nearby, you could stack them up, take a photo and post it. If you’ve really got time on your hands, provide a link to amazon.com for each of your titles. Totally up to you.

4. Come back here and sign up through Mr. Linky. Let’s support each other in this fun winter reading challenge. Visit the blogs of other participants and POST COMMENTS! We all love comments.(I promise I will visit the site of every participant and post a comment on your book list post, your book review post(s), your recap post, and at least one other post, unrelated to the Winter Reading Challenge.)

5. Feel free to post the Winter Reading Challenge image in your sidebar and/or in your post. Please link the image back to this post.

6. Regularly (as totally defined by you) update your posted reading list on your original blog post. Change the color of the text or cross through them as you finish each book. Also, feel free to change your list as desired. If you start reading a book and decide you don't like it, take it off your list. If you hear about a great book, add it to your list. If you decide your list is too long, shorten it. Remember, this is supposed to be fun—not a chore.

7. Almost Entirely Optional: Post reviews of the books you read on your blog. Use the Mr. Linky on Winter Reading Challenge Review page to link back to your reviews. (This is entirely optional, but required if you want to win the Grand Prize.)

8. At the end of the challenge, write a recap post telling us about your experiences in pursuing your reading goals. I’ll have a list of questions for you to consider answering and another Mr. Linky to be posted the last week of winter (sometime around March 13th).

9. And yes, there will be PRIZES. There will be intermittent prizes throughout the challenge. I'm trying to work out some donated books. If you're an author and would like to donate a prize (and ship it to the winner) let me know. (If I don't get the donations, some of the prizes will be gently read copies from my personal library that I'm trimming down.) There will also be a grand prize consisting of a $10 Gift Card to either Barnes and Noble or Borders (winner's choice).Grand Prize Eligibility Requirements:

Join the Winter Reading Challenge by posting your reading list on your blog and signing up using the Mr. Linky below by midnight (MST) on Saturday, December 29th, 2007.
Post at least one book review and use the Mr Linky here to share it with us.
Post a recap of your Winter Reading Challenge experience on your blog and link through the recap Mr. Linky by midnight (MST) on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 (one week after the challenge ends). (Recap page will be posted in March.)Note: You can join the Winter Reading Challenge at any time; deadlines are only for prize eligibility.Okay, that’s it. Let’s get reading!

Sleigh Ride

This picture is a scan of an ornament that my mom gave me my first Christmas as a newlywed. It is still one of my favorite ornaments. (it came from Avon in 1985)

I always think of the song Sleigh Ride whenever I hang this ornament. I prefer my Sleigh Ride sans words and let the music drift over you and carry you away. I also love it performed by a full orchestra. There is just something about the strings that takes me away.

*Karlene did a video on You Tube of Sleigh Ride being played by her favorite artist, Emile Pandolfi. Wonderful video, Karlene. I also love the lilting way he plays this song. You can just hear those sleigh bells ringeln, tinglen' too. You can also see in your mind the horse as he pulls the sleigh down a snow packed lane, see the sun glinting off of the snow banks. Can you hear the sleigh runners sushing as you go hurring along?

I have never really been on a sleigh ride like this. I grew up in Southern New Mexico, not a lot of opportunity there for sleigh rides. Maybe if we had gone over to White Sands we could have pretended. Probably wouldn't have been the same, though.

I have a neighbor here that has two sleighs that he give rides in. At Christmas time he puts up a big Army tent in his front yard, complete with a wood stove and hot cocoa. People come from all over to enjoy the evening and line up for a ride. I have gone on one of those rides around the block. It was cold. Why is it in the movies, it never seems that the people in the sleigh get cold?

The closest I remember to a sleigh ride when I was younger was one winter going somewhere with my grandmother and mom. We took Grandma's yellow Dodge pickup. I can't remember who was with us, my sisters? my brother? my cousin? Anyway, we put down a blanket in the bed of the pickup and then climbed in. It was cold and the sky was very, very low and heavy with black clouds. We even sat with our backs to the cab of the pickup it was so cold. No sitting on the wheel wells or with our feet hanging off of the tail gate this trip. (I am lucky enough to have been a kid when those things weren't "dangerous") And I seem to remember an old blanked wrapped around us. I remember when it started snowing thinking that it was cold and I could hardly wait to get back to Grandma's where it was warm. I also remember being glad that I was not a pioneer, and glad that I was born at a time when there was such a thing as cars and central heat because I was COLD. So sit back and enjoy the song and your warm home.

*I had this song scheduled for today even before Karlene did her video, but I am glad that she posted before me so that I can show her wonderful work. Karlene, have I told you lately that you do great work?

O Holy Night

* When this song was written by adolphe Charles Adam, the 19th century French composer was frowned on by church authorities. One French bishop even went so far as to denounce it for it's "lack of musical taste and total absence of the spirit of religion". Despite this, it has become the most popular of all Christmas solos. Adam's friend and collaborator, the poet Cappeau de Roquemaure, was the first to supply a text for the melody, titling it "Cantique de Noel." The English words we use today, which made the tune "O Holy Night", were written by an American clergyman and musical authority named John Sullivan Dwight.

When I was growing up Gene Huber (am I right family?) sang this song every other year, alternating with "A Birthday of a King" (another of my all time favorites). I missed it when I moved away. About 9 years ago our ward boundaries were reallinged. Kevin Miles was in the same ward as I was, now. Guess which song he sings each December? You guessed it right! Yesterday was the day that he sang it. He only sang the first and third verses.

There are so many versions of this song around that it is not hard to find at this time of year. Some of them are wonderful, some are ok and some just shouldn't exist. Here are some of my favorite ones:
Elise Adams sings all three verses on her album.
The Majesty and Glory of Christmas- track 4
Marie Osmond




Josh Groban



Trans Siberian Orchestra


Celtic Woman


I always cry when I hear this song, but even more so when I hear this majestic voice.

Words to all Three verses:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!



*from Reader's Digest Merry Christmas songbook

Survivor-China

Todd Herzog just won the million dollars on Survivor- China.

I probably normaly wouldn't care, nor even post about it as I haven't watched the show for awhile now, but Todd graduated with Donovan from high school and his sisters are friends with my other kids, so it is kind of nice to see the home town boy win.

Christmas in the Grove

Here is a video of about 5 of my favorites from the Christmas in the Grove program. The program was about 1 1/2 hours and this video lasts about 20 minutes. You will see, of course, close ups of Brandi and Jacob and Ethan, but you will also see some of why I love Kathryn. If she were to tak her talent and give me just an extremely small thimble full, I would be overflowing with talent.

It was a fun and spiritual evening and I am so happy that I was well enough to go. For me, it isn't Christmas until "Christmas in the Grove".

Again, be sure to scroll to the bottom to turn down the playlist.
Lynell Haas playing the flute.

Jocelyn Pedersen soloist on Mary Had a Baby

Mike Carson- organist

Wanda Orr- pianist

Jacob Sorenson- tabourine

Tagged again

Josi tagged me with 10 random things tag. I am supposed to tell you 10 random things about me and then tag 10 people.



Hmmm, what do I not care that you know about me that I have not already told you?



10. I have 3 college degrees- General degree in Children's Lit., Associates in El. Ed., Bachelor's in Psychology and I spend my days basically as a glorified hall monitor.



9. I absolutely HATE snakes. I don't mind spiders or bugs too much, but don't even show me a snake. I walk through the snake house at the zoo with my back to the snakes.



8. I'll go out of my way just so that I do not have to make a left hand turn without a turn signal.

7. Purple and green are my favorite colors. I just noticed that those colors make up most of my wardrobe.

6. I am afraid of the dark. I have to have music or something on in order to be able to fall asleep with or without sleeping meds.

5. I have caught a fish with my bare hands.

4. I am a jewlery junkie and had to put myself on a jewlery diet and purge. I hated having to do that because my friend Lindsey had some beautiful bracelets on her Etsy shop and I couldn't get one before they were gone.

3. I would love to be able to buy and and restore old houses- repair, paint and furnish them. That would be so fun.

2. I have a HUGE crush on Ty Penington.

1. You know how Jimmy Stewart pretended to lead the Tabernacle Choir in the movie Mr. Krueger's Christmas? That is me when I listen to music. It must be heriditary, I see my kids doing it as well.

So, there you go- 10 random things about me.
Now to tag 10 people that I haven't tagged lately:

Lindsey- cause she is always so happy

Elle- so she has a reason to write a long post (and you're so cute)

Camille- who truly enjoys her students and they enjoy her

Karlene- because even though she gets tagged a lot, it has been awhile since I tagged her

Jessica- because I'm the mom and I said so. And she has my camera again.

Michelle- because it's been awhile since we heard from her

McKenna- because I love the way she tells about life

Gaynelle- I have never tagged her

Anne- just because

Family needs help

This came from my neighbor and friend. I guess just viewing the video counts as a vote. Thanks, Karlene, for reminding me that I posted before I added all of the info- sorry. After the contest ends, the votes/views will be tallied.

Kathryn Laycock Little

Kathryn Laycock Little

I am so honored to know this lady. More than that, though, I am blessed to be able to call her friend. You may know her from "Brigham City" or "Singles Ward 2" or if you live in Utah, you may have seen her in any number of plays or productions. She has also been a soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This is a picture from last Sunday night's program, Christmas in the Grove. This was during an audience participation song. I thought it showed the playfull side of Kathryn that I love so much.

I will be uploading some video sections from the program later today or tomorrow, but I just wanted to pay a little tribute to Kathryn. Each year for the last 15 years, she has been the spearhead behind Christmas in the Grove. With a committee, she chooses songs that tell the story of Christ's birth and mission and then spends Sunday evenings starting early in Oct. preparing the adult and youth choirs for the performance and also helping with the children's choir. This, in addition to being the choir director for the most amazing ward choir. Also in addition to her everday work and life.

She has an amazing voice. Here she is singing the final number from last week's program. (sorry it is shaky, I had to change tapes and didn't have time to put the camera back on the tripod and I was still kinda sick)

(be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and turn down the playlist sound)

Isn't that the voice of an angel? Kathryn is one of those women that would give you the shirt off of her back if she could and you needed it. But she is also one of those women that really and truly appreciates the small gifts of friendship and acknowledges them and you feel as if you had given her $1,000,000 even if it was just a simple hug. As I said, I am honored and blessed to know her and call her friend.

Marie Osmond

I just picked up Marie's newest Christmas album. If you are waiting to hear music from the Marie that sang Paper Roses or even the Marie that was a little bit country, prepare to be disappointed.

However, if you are ready to hear wonderful holiday music sung with a voice that is rich and round and full of body, then be prepared to be blown away. Marie's years of fine tuning for Broadway is very evident. All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW.

"Oh Holy Night" is my very favorite Christmas song ever, and to hear Marie sing it- again Blown Away. Her voice is so very rich and she ennunciates her words so that they are easy to understand. One thing that irritates me is when a singer slurs words or drops consonants. Marie never does that, each word is clear and presise and easily understood. And the feeling she puts into the album. This is easily going to be one of my new favorite albums.

Thank you Marie.

More Songs

When I began this month posting about the Christmas songs that I just love, I forgot how many of them there would be. I started out doing just one a day and then I wanted to post about something else and then I got sick and....

So today there will be more than one song.

I Saw Three Ships
Historians love to debate the symbolism found within the words of the Christmas hymn, "I Saw Three Ships." Do the seafaring vessels represent Columbus's voyage? Or are they indirect references to: the Holy Trinity, the three Wise Men, or I Corinthians 13:13 (King James Version, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity")? Whatever the intent of the song's lyricist, "I Saw Three Ships" has been a popular hymn since its publication in 1666. Notably, Cecil Sharp, an English collector of folk songs, discovered several versions of this melody throughout the British Isles. (taken from How Stuff Works)

I have no idea what this song is about, I just know that I really like the tune the way that Jon Schmidt plays it. It also reminds me of Donovan. That is one song that he learned (the Jon Schmidt version on the play list on this blog) and I miss him being home to play the piano for me.




Ok, I just realized that most of the songs I am picking today are my favorite when played by Jon Schmidt. The picture above is my favorite Christmas album by him, even though he has two out now. Click on the picture to go to his website, you can even listen to some of his music.

Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella
Fourteenth-century French socials often included the ritournelle, a lively court dance. One ritournelle melody survives as the song that became the French Christmas carol "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella." The central characters of the song might have served as inspiration for the two serving maids depicted at the nativity in a famous painting by Georges de La Tour. The lyrics are said to have originated in either Anjou or Burgundy. They were paired with the melody and first published in 1553 by a wealthy nobleman in Cantiques de Premiere Advenement de Jesus-Christ."Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella"


Lyrics


1. Bring a torch, Jeannette, Isabella!Bring a torch to the cradle run!
It is Jesus, good folks of the village;
Christ is born and Mary's calling:
Ah! ah! beautiful is the mother!
Ah! ah! beautiful is her Son!

2. It is wrong when the Child is sleeping
It is wrong to talk so loud;
Silence, all, as you gather around,Lest your noise should waken Jesus:
Hush! hush! see how fast He slumbers:
Hush! hush! see how fast He sleeps!

3. Softly to the little stable,Softly for the moment come;
Look and see how charming is Jesus,See how He smiles, Oh see how rosy!
Hush! hush! see how the Child is sleeping;
Hush! hush! see how He smiles in dreams.
(howstuffworks)

But again it is the Jon Schmidt version I like the best. His notes let me see Jeanette's feet running to greet the baby, her white linen dress flowing behind her as she scurries. Who is Jeanette? Is she the midwife hurrying to help the babe enter the mortal world? Or perhaps is she one that heard the joyous news from the shepherds and recognized the sign and is on her way to great her Lord and Savior?


Süsser de Glocken
The bell carol. I love listening to the music swell and fade and swell again. So sweet, so light, so beautiful, lilting and it carries me away.

We Three Kings
I remember learning this song for a Christmas program in elementary school and it has been one of my favorite every since then (but it took me a few years to figure out where orientare was located).

Pictures

I made it to work today. I really wanted to stay home, but gotta pay those bills.
So here are some pictures of my decorations this year. I painted and got rid of and added furniture this year and so things are in different places than they usually are. I am not sure whether I like it or not. We'll see.

These three little guys sit in my front entry, next to the coat closet and "build" a snowman each year..
I try to do each room in a theme and the front entry is my snowman room, since that is where it all gets tracked anyway!

Shelf by my front door that usually holds all my kitty knick-knacks but holds more snowmen during Christmas.

My tree in the living room. I just have white lights, burgandy bows and white beads on it with the angel on top. There are a white and a black peacock about half way down. I am thinking that I am going to change the decorations on this one next year. I am ready for something new.

Kids' tree downstairs. Originally I was going to get 8 of these little guys and put them with a sleigh that I have, but that was not really practical. So I have two of them that sit by the tree. One seems to have wandered off today......

I wonder if he is maybe Santa's spy.

I saw this arrangement at Ikea and loved it. I got the feather trees at Target last year in Jan for $2 each- normally $30 gotta love deal like that!

Kids' plastic play with nativity Brought to me as a gift from Isreal

nativities and angels one of my favorite

Donovan gave me this one when he was in elementary

Some one gave us this nativity one year. One piece each night starting Dec. 13 until we got the baby on the 24th. That has now become one of my kids' favorite things to do, give a nativity for the 12 days of Christmas.

Another kid's nativity

This one usually sits on a small table with a burgandy table cloth, a grapevine wreath and a big gold bow. This is one of the one's that I am not sure I want to leave this way. I'll probably put it back next year.

I madethis nativity the first year I was married. I was limitied on the colors I had. My sisters in law each made one that year as well, and they were disgusted that I used color at all. They felt that it had to be all white to be reverent at all. But I love it just the way it is. I have to tell you about the kneeling shepherds. Just before I went to have them fired, I noticed that I had forgotten to paint the feet on one of them. So I pulled out the paints and fixed that problem. I named that little shepherd Matthew. Of course it was six years before I got

my real life Matthew, and he has claimed this nativity as his when possesions are divided up!

And then I have angles of every shape and size and color all over the front room as well.

And those are some of my favorite Christmas decorations inside my house. Of course, I only got part of them out this year. So if I were to do this same post next year, you would see different along with these.

Christmas decorating

I stayed home from work again today. I got up ready to go to work, but quickly realized that I was still too weak to deal with jr. high students today. So, I stayed home and rested again today. I will probably still be tired tomorrow, but I think I will be able to make it.

That said, I want to talk about some of our Christmas traditions at my house. I love Christmas decorating. I love the perfect, coordinated Christmas trees, I love the hodge-podge trees that are filled with well loved and cherished heirloom decorations made with finger paint and gold painted macaroni. I love nativity scenes, stars, tinsle, lights, snowmen, glass balls, santas an all the trappings of the decorating.

I have been blessed to have a faily big house so I have the room for quite a number of decorations. The week of Thanksgiving, Jessica said, "Now comes the 4 weeks of not having any room to move because of the decorations." Well, that is true. I usually spend the 2 days after Thanksgiving decorating the house. But the day after, this year, we went to my sister's house and spent the entire day. And the Sat. after, was spent cleaning. So the decorating didn't get done. In fact, I had the boys get it all out into the garage the next weekend and then only did the snowmen in the front room, but only some of them.

Then I decided that I only wanted to do one tree this year. We would put up my tree upstairs, but with the family cherished decorations. The kids were having none of that- they WANTED both trees. And they actually cleaned the basement family room for their tree. So we put up both trees. (I really miss a real tree and the smell of it, but Blue Spruce are the only ones that don't trigger bronchitis like symptoms and they are so darn expensive!)

Then I decided to get out only a couple of the 30 or so nativities that I have collected. But then Matthew asked, "Aren't you going to get out the one that goes on the hall wall? The hall is being neglegted in the decorating." And I kept hearing "what about this, what about that?" over and over. When I said that I thought they would like not having it all out, they were really sad that I wasnt' getting it all out. So we comprimised, I still didn't get it all out, just most of it. So I guess the decorations are more important to the kids than I thought. I thought it was just me.

I'll take some pictures tonight and show you tomorrow.

Sunday, Dec 9

I am gong to take a little break from the Christmas song review, today. I have been ill. I went to be early Th. feeling a bit unwell. i didn't sleep well, and when the alarm went off Friday morning, I knew it was not good. I started making my oblations to the porceline throne not long after that. In fact, I ended up at the dr. office. He was sure it was the flu. But, alas, it was not, so just a shot of Phenergan and one of Tordal for the joint pain. I really hate having a comprimised immmune system- Epstein Barr Syndrome and Rhemetoid Arthritis- both make illnesses worse than they should be.

So, with the drugs in my system, I missed work and the work Christmas Party Friday night. But even worse than that, I missed picking up Trevor at the airport after the party! Yes, he is home until he leaves next Aug on his mission. I was dead asleep, full of meds when he came home. He touched me and I woke up though. What a sweetie, he bought me two charms for my charm bracelet. He had seen me looking at them when I was on base in Sept. but I couldn't afford them. They are the Marine symbol and have real diamonds in them. He got me one to represent Donovan and one to represent him.

I also slept through yesterday and the ward Christmas party. And he 2 feet of snow that fell and the kids making a 6 ft. snowman outside. I also got to miss grocery shopping and mopping, but I did manage to do a couple loads of laundry and fold the towels and redo Brandi's hair before I fell back into bed exhausted.

Today it is still snowing and I still feel gross, but a shower helped. I am missing church so that I will have enough energy to go to the Christmas program "Christmas in the Grove" tonight. Brandi is singing in the children's choir, Jake and Ethan are singing in the youth choir and Jake is also playing percussion. I love this program and have only missed 2-3 in the last 15 years- always due to illness and once a new preemie baby- Jake. For me, it isn't Christmas until Christmas in the Grove.

This season is turning into one of those that circumstances are forcing me to remember the season and forget the trappings. Those always turn out to be my favorite memories, the simple years where I am too ill or tired to do the big elaborate celbrations with all of their flippery and finery.

Well, I am feeling a bit tired, so off for a nap.

Silver Bells

I used to dance. On a dance floor, to music. But you knew that didn't you? I have even choreographed dances for plays and I loved every minute of it. There are times that I hear a song and my body just wants to move, I can feel the moves and have a hard time keeping my feet still and not moving, especially when I am in the car or even worse, at a public gathering.

Of all the dancing that I ever did, the waltz is my all time favorite dance. I find it smooth, glamorous, euretheural and very, very expressive. What can I say, I am a romantic at heart.

The Christmas song, "Silver Bells", is one of those songs. When I hear it, I can feel the steps with my body and see the choreography in my mind. I would be wearing a white formal with marabou at the hem and the sleeve cuffs. The material would be georgette and filmy. My partner would be in a black tux, tails of course. The dance floor would be rimmed with Christmas trees filled with sparkling white lights, the only light in the room. Magic.

There are many different versions of this song. I like the slower versions as they give the waltz feel as opposed to the faster versions that give the feel of the hustle and bustle of shopping and rushing home with presents. This video comes the closest to the feel that I like. (I didn't want to go to Alan Jackson again, though I really like his version)




(to watch the video without hearing the playlist songs, go to the playlist at the bottom of the page and turn down the volume on it with the sound icon on the right hand side)

Basketball

The boys at school played a basketball yesterday. A couple of the boys on the team have been asking me to attend and yesterday I was able to.

9th grade boys are at an awkward stage of growth and nothing brings that to mind like a group of them in basketball uniforms. They are all legs and arms and feet. The reminded me a bit of Robin Hood in the Disney cartoon version, when he dresses up as a stork. But I digress.

It was not a pretty game. The other team played extremely well. It was obvious that they had played together for many years. Even their drills were a picture of precision. I don't think a ball ever left their hands but what it went through the basket. I remember when I was in high school and attended a game with my daddy and he cheered a play from the opposing team. Of course I was not happy, but he explained to me that it is good sportsmanship to acknowledge a good play no matter who makes it.

Well, at yesterdays game, I silently applauded the opposing team. Our boys know they were not playing well and with each basket missed by us or made by the opposition, you could see it on the faces of our team, dejetion and frustration. I did not want to add to it by open admiration for their opposition. But it was clearly a mismatch. We lost by about 70 points. Not a pretty site.

On a good note, though, we had a full house of support from students attending the game and they were all good sports and showed good sportsmanship and I was proud of them for that.

Still, Still, Still

I love the quietness of this song. To me it is like a lullaby and I love that. The very title evokes a quietness. The stillness of a mother singing her baby back to sleep after a middle of the night feeding. This stillness reminds me that my Lord and Savior was once a child and had to learn line upon line, just as I do, He just learned it better and faster without the needed repeat lessons. It reminds me that He cried in the night, just as my babies did and Mary needed to love and comfort Him, just as He loves and comforts me in the long dark nights of my life.

This song's quietness also reminds me of the falling snow in the night, the snow that falls in large, sticky flakes that blanket the ground with white- pure and pristine in the morning. Just as we will be in the morning of the resurection, made possible by our Savior.

It also reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures, found in two different places:

Ps. 46: 10
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Doctorine & Covenants 101: 16
16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God

My favorite rendition of this song is by Elise Adams. Elise gave me her CD the year it was released when I was a vendor at a booksellers convention. It was August, but the CD quickly became one of my favorite.

Listen to it here (open the song in another window and listen to it while you come back here and read the words)

Here are the words:

Still, Still, Still

Still, still, still
One can hear the falling snow.
For all is hushed,
The world is sleeping,
Holy Star its vigil keeping.
Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.

Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.
While guardian angels without number
Watch you as you sweetly slumber.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.

Majesty and Glory

If I could have only one Christmas album, this would be it. From the opening heralding trumpets to the final amen there is not one misnote. When I listen, I imagine the scene I described with the sheperds. But when the music begins, I shift to the scene of the heavenly choir and I become part of the choir. My favorite track is track 11, the singing of Noel. I especially love the song, "Sing Noel", I can just see the choir swaying and singing and being joyous in it. Sometimes I wish we sang more, umm, boisterously in our church. I think in our singing of our hymns, we don't always rejoice in the news that is the gospel, but just sing words while not paying attention. But I digress.

If you can get this CD you really should. Put it on, turn it up and feel the music. Let it take you to that exciting, happy, joyous place where you learn that the world will be ok, there is a Savior and He is here.

Christmas giveaway

Who doesn't like free stuff? Especially during this season of giving. Anne over at Not Entirely British is giving away a compact DVD player. Here are the rules and regulations, the fine print so to speak.

brand new, still-in-box, RjTECH UNO-02DVD compact slim DVD player? And since it's the Christmas season when it's nice to give more, SHIPPING by Priority Mail is FREE in Continental USA.

Closing date--DECEMBER 18th 2007.


Full DVD function
DVD format compatibility: DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/VCD/SVCD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/JPEG
Audio Outputs: 2.1 CH RCA/Coaxial
Video Outputs: Video/S-Video/YCbCr
Multi-TV System NTSC/PAL
Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 1.5 inches ; 4 pounds
Two simple rules:

1) Post information about the contest on your blog with a link back to Anne's.

2) Leave ONE comment back at this post on Anne's page telling me you've completed #1.

Winner will be chosen by random number generator on Tuesday December 18th, and announced the same day.

Spread the word about this nifty give-away.

And a Merry Christmas to one and all!

I've been tagged!

Tristi tagged me with the six things about me tag. So I am supposed to tell you six things about me and then tag six people. Here we go:

1. All the light switches have to be in the down position when I go to bed or I cannot sleep. This gets crazy with the 3 way switch and having to go up and down the stairs to make them all 3 in the down position.

2. I was one of the first Urban Botanic fragrance designers.

3. I absolutely HATE, HATE, HATE shopping.

4. I like to look at snow when it is fresh fallen, unbroken with no footprints, but other than that I do not like it. I don't like driving in it, I don't like shoveling it and I really do not like the cold and would rather sit inside with a book and cocoa than go build a snowman.

5. I love to cook. I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I love it when I do.

6. I would love to have a job as a Christmas Tree designer. I have several ideas sketched out. I have 6 trees for my house, but only put up two this year.

Now, let's see, who should I tag? Hmmm,

Melody over at SlurpingLife

Kymburlee at Temporary? Insanity

Linda at I Knew I Could Fly

Mom Intrrupted

I know that is only 4, but I don't want to keep tagging the same people, so when I decide on the last 2, I'll tag them.

Until them, have a happy day!

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

Come with me and imagine. Imagine yourself living in a world full of political unrest. A world where the ruling classes vie for power. But you are not of the ruling class so have no say in what happens. So, you live your life doing your best and working hard to provide for your family. When you were very young, you became an apprentice and worked hard to move up. Now, as a young adult you have been awarded a covenanted position.

It is a night in early spring, lambing season. This night, you have been promoted to undershepherd. Tonight you will stay with the other undershepherds and guard the flock from hungry predators wanting to feast on newly born lambs. This is a position of great trust. It is to you that the ewes look for help in birthing. To you that the Head Shepherd gives his trust to keep the flock safe and secure. You are truly honored to have reached this station.

The flock is secured in the fold, along with the other flocks from this area. You and the other shepherds have settled down after eating your ligt supper. You have seen the sun go down and divided up the hours of the night watch and you are now into the second hour of your turn. You sit on a small rise above the fold. From here you can see the fold and the surrounding area. There is brush and shrubs where predators can hide as they slink toward the fold. You must be ever vigilant, just as the other sheperds on similar knolls around the fold.

The night is dark and still. There is a coolness to the night air, but not cold. The stars shine brightly in this darkness. Tonight, for some reason, they appear even brighter than you remember. Suddenly, one star seems to explode into a greater light than you have ever seen before. You rub your eyes and when you take your hand away you see that it was not a star, but a heavenly being.

Your heart is gripped with fear. You have prepared yourself to defend your flock from many things, wolves, bears, other men, but how do you protect your flock from this? Your shout for help is echoed by the other watchmen around you. The quiet fold explodes with men spilling out to fight the danger.

Then the being speaks:

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

The heavens open to reveal an orchestra and the beautiful strains of Herald trumpets are heard. The orchestra is joined by choirs of angels singing songs of joy and exhaltaion and Glory to God. You are filled with joy and rapture along with wonder that the Father would trust you with this joyous news of hope and salvation.

After the orchestra and choir leave, you and your fellow shepherd sit and ponder for a few minutes. You then divide responsibilities among you, those to stay and guard the sheep and those to go and find the baby and proclaim the news to others. And you ponder in your heart all the wonderful things to come and thank the Father for allowing you the opportunity to be here on this night of nights.

The First Noel

There is a buzz in the air. Everyone is busy rushing here and there. However it is not chaos. This day has been planned and prepared for for eons, just the exact date was not known. Finally it is here and everyone is working to be in place.
You pass white robed orchestra members, their trumpets gleaming with recent polishing. The gold of the french harps is brighter than any star ever thought of being. Timpanis and cymbals also are making their way to the gathering place. There is excited chattering in the halls.

You make your way to the choir room for a final rehersal and warm up. Your new white dress is long and flowing, the silk making quiet whispers as your slippered feet hurry down the marble hall. Your stomach is dancing in anticipation. You have the most benevolant Father and you are so very grateful to Him. He knows of your love of music. You are not the most talented singer in the choir, more often than not your notes are off key. He knows, though, that your enthusiasm and love of the music and subject matter far outweigh any off notes. Besides, you are able to feel the music, and that is what really counts when you sing.

The director calls the choir to attention and all look at her. She is one of the most beautiful sisters there. Her brown flowing hair making a halo around her shining face. It is time.

You hear the Herald angel telling the shepherds to not be afraid. It is hard for you to imagine someone being afraid, but you have not yet had your earth turn, so there is that to consider.

The curtain opens on the stage and the strains of herald music is heard from the brass section. That always brings a quickness to your heart as well as a thrill. You look at the director. Her face is beaming. That beaming is reflected in everyone around you. In fact, it seems as if the whole heavens are filled with this light, a light that spills to the earth and bathes the shepherds in glory.

Oh how you love this feeling. It is time to tell the earth the first noel- the proclamation of a royal birth- and the strains are glorious and beautiful and fill your entire being. It is here, the birth onto earth of your beloved elder brother, and you, you get to tell the world.

Let it Be Christmas- Alan Jackson

I love music. I love listening to it, I love playing it- both on the piano as well as the radio, disks etc. I love it when it is good music. I like to turn it up and let it wash over me, fill my body and soul and let me feel. I love how it takes me places and evokes images.

This Christmas song by Alan Jackson is one of my very favorite. I love how it starts small, a few strains of guitar and then the words. Alan takes you to the small country road and then to the city streets and you can see and feel the snow while you walk there. Then the bells are introduced to the song. Small and subtle but there, ringing clearly for all to hear.

Then the music begins to swell. I love swelling music. The words again take you to small children with visions of sugar plums and hopes and dreams, both past and present.

Then the most awsome part, the orchestra joins the song and the music is full bodied and wonderful and you feel Christmas everywhere. As the song comes to an end, you just know in your heart that all will be well and that we can truly have hope and joy and peace.

Here are the lyrics and two links that you can use to go and listen. I know that not everyone likes Country music, but give it a chance and really let the music wash over and in and around you.

Let it be Christmas
Alan Jackson

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the hearts of all people both near and afar
Christmas everywhere
Feel the love of the season wherever you are
On the small country roads lined with green mistletoe
Big city streets where a thousand lights glow

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
With the gold and the silver, the green and the red
Christmas everywhere
In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds
In the eyes of young babies their first fallen snow
Elderlys' memories that never grow old

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the songs that we sing and the gifts that we bring
Christmas everywhere
In what this day means and what we believe
From the sandy white beaches where blue water rolls
Snow covered mountains and valleys below

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere

Here You can watch Alan sing this song. (you'll have to watch a 30 second commercial first- sorry)

Here you will find a pretty Christmas picture, the lyrics and Alan singing the song

I tried putting a playlist on my sidebar that has this song, but I can't get it to work for some reason. Have to figure that out, but first I'm finishing up shopping and putting up the trees today.